PORK AND VEAL CANNELLONI

Serves 6

Cannelloni is so simple, so beautiful, so iconically Italian. In a way, it flips lasagna on its head so the meat is actually cooked in the creamy bechamel before being rolled in pasta sheets and coated in Napoli sauce and mozzarella cheese.

When presented in front of a crowd this easy meal will be met with massive smiles. And in my office, it’s known to make everyone jealous. Serve with a simple green leaf salad, and bread, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

This recipe makes 12 rolls of cannelloni, however, if you’re not looking for a massive meal it could be stretched to 18 smaller servings by slicing the pasta sheets in half.

Ingredients

Method

Step 1: Make your béchameland Napoli sauce ahead of time so that putting the rest together is a breeze.

Step 2: Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan forced).

Step 3: Dice your onion.

Step 4: Place a deep frying pan on a medium-high heat and along with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent.

Step 5 Add the mince and cook until browned

Step 6: When your mince is cooked, combine with your pre-prepared béchamel and remove from the heat.

Step 7: One by one, lay flat a lasagne sheet on a chopping board and spoon your mince and béchamel mixture onto one short end. Roll up to form a tube. Transfer to a lined baking dish and repeat, placing your rolls side by side in the baking dish (or dishes) until all lasagne sheets and all of your mince is used.

Step 8: Evenly pour over your Napoli sauce and sprinkle the cannelloni with the grated mozzarella. Feel free to grate over some parmesan cheese as well.

Step 9: Season with salt and pepper and cover with aluminium foil before placing in the oven for 25 minutes.

Step 10: When 25 minutes is up, remove and discard the foil and return the cannelloni to the oven for another 5-10 minutes (until the cheese starts to go a little golden).